Crossword Genius

As an alternative to a group of astronauts (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

nasa

'a group of astronauts' is the definition.

'as an alternative' is the wordplay.
'alternative' is an anagram indicator.
'as'+'an'='asan'
'asan' is an anagram of 'NASA'.

'to' is the link.

(Other definitions for nasa that I've seen before include "rocket launcher" , "US agency responsible for space flight" , "US headquarters for space exploration" .)

I've seen this clue in The Mirror.
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